Assistive Technology That Comes Automatically on Your MAC

OSX (10.2 and greater)

The Alliance for Technology Access
http://www.ataccess.org/resources/atk12/osaccess.html
Summary of Operating System (Mac/Windows) Software Access Features

Leopard10.5Accessibility_Options.doc

• Mac OS 10.5 - The Options that come with the Mac to make accommodations for: Vision, Hearing, Physical, Learning

MAC SETTINGS:

You can make a special log-in on the computer so the other students can still use the computer the regular way.

• Open System Preferences; Click Accounts
• If some settings are dimmed, click the lock icon and type in the admin name and pwd.
• Click Add and follow the directions.
• The Parental Controls option allows you to restrict students' full access to the HD and programs.
• Turn on "Fast User Switching". Go to: Accounts pane / click on User Name / Login Options. Select: Enable fast user.."

Visual Needs Settings:

• VoiceOver (Apple Key / F5: Turns it on & off) (Apple Key / F7: VoiceOver menu)
  • http://www.apple.com/education/accessibility/technology/voiceover.html
• Zoom (Apple Key / Opt. / 8: Turns it on & off) (LARGER: Apple/Opt/=) (SMALLER: Apple/Opt/-)
  • Scroll with mouse ball on a mighty mouse while holding down the control key.
  • Drag w/ 2 fingers on a track pad while holding down the control key.
• Scaling the Cursor
  • System Pref. / Universal Access / Mouse. Drage cursor size slider to adjust the cursor size.
  • http://www.apple.com/education/accessibility/technology/scalable_cursor.html
• Enlarging the Icons
  • View menu / Show view options
  • Apple menu / Dock / Turn magnification on
• Enlarge the whole Screen
  • System pref / Displays / Select a new resolution
• Enhance Screen Contrast
  • System pref / Universal Access / Seeing. Make adjustments (grayscale. white on black, enhance contrast
• Use Keyboard Shortcuts
  • Switch between open applications: Apple Key / Tab
  • System pref / Keyboard / Keyboard Shortcuts (Change any you want)
  • http://www.apple.com/education/accessibility/technology/keyboard_navigation.html
• Using Spoken Commands to Control the Computer
  • System pref / Speech / Speech Recognition. Click the Calibrate button to adapt Speech Recog. to your new environment. Speak each of the phrases listed until each command blinks. Click Done.
  • Click the On button next to speakable items. (The speech feedback window appears on the desktop and shows the "listening key' that you need to press before speaking any commands. The default listening key is ESCAPE. You can change it by clicking Change Key.
  • Press the listening key and say your command in a calm voice.
  • http://www.apple.com/education/accessibility/technology/speech_recognition.html

Settings for the Hearing Impaired:

• Changing Alert Sounds into Screen Flashes
• Adding Captions to Video with QuickTime Pro

Settings for Physical Motor Needs:

• Pressing a Group of Modifier Keys as a Sequence - Sticky Keys
  • System pref / Universal Access / Keyboard. Turn Sticky Keys ON.
• Making the Keyboard Respond More Slowly When Keys Are Pressed - Slow Keys
  • System pref / Universal Access / Keyboard. Turn Slow Keys ON
• Repeat Key Rate
  • System pref / Keyboard Drag the Key Repeat slider to set how fast characters repeat.
  • Drag the Delay Until Repeat slider to set how long to wait before the character begins repeating.
• Mouse Keys (Using the Numeric Keypad to Control the Pointer) Press Opt. key 5 times
  • System pref / Universal Access / Mouse. Select ON next to Mouse Keys.
  • Drag the Initial Delay slider to set how long to wait before the pointer moves.
  • Drag the Maximum Delay slider to set how quickly the pointer moves.
  • To turn it on from the keyboard, select "Press the Opt. key 5 times..".
• Using the Dvorak Keyboard for One-Handed Typing
  • System pref / International / Input / Keyboard viewer / Dvorak
  • http://www.apple.com/macosx/tips/keyboard11.html

Settings for Literacy and Learning Needs:

• Text-to-Speech (Computer reads text that you highlight.) Select the text and press the key combination you chose.
  • System pref / Speech / Text-to-Speech. Select "Speak selected text wen the key is pressed".
  • Type one or more modifier keys (Apple, Shift, Opt., Control) and another key to set the key combination you want to use to hear selected text. To hear selected text, press the key combination.
• Adjust Display Settings (See above)
• Using the Services Command to do the following commands (Available in: Safari, Text Edit, and other apps under the Finder menu.)
  • Make a new Sticky Note (to copy/paste text or make a To Do list.
  • TextEdit - HIghlight text to keep from a webpage or doc and quickly save it in a new textedit document.
  • Summarize - Select the text. Choose: Application / Services / Summarize
  • Text-to-Speech - Select text in doc or webpage. Choose: Application / Services / Speech / Start Speaking Text
  • Quickly look up definition - Select word. Choose: Application / Services / Look up in Dictionary
    • Select word. Control/click on word and choose "Look up in Dictionary".